Ashley Brown: Pair of Former Panthers Named to All-Star Team

Posted: July 8, 2017 - 9:31pm | Updated: July 9, 2017 - 2:30pm

Throughout the summer, the top collegiate baseball players hone their skills and attempt to turn the eye of professional scouts playing in college baseball summer leagues all over the country. One such league is the Coastal Plains League. Over the last 20 years, the CPL has emerged as one of the top college summer leagues in the United States. Many experts rate it No. 2, only trailing the prestigious Cape Cod League. The CPL benefits from its location. The league caters to the colleges in the Southeast, which produces the best talent year in and year out.

Since 1997, more than 1,400 players who have played in the CPL have been drafted by Major League teams, including Super Bowl MVP and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. Ninety-four CPL alums have made it all the way to the Majors, including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award Winner Justin Verlander. So, playing in this league will give you an opportunity to shine for the pro scouts.

On Monday night (July 10), the CPL will hold its annual All-Star Game in Holly Springs, N.C. Columbia County has plenty of reason to be proud, as a pair of former Lakeside products (Chandler Corley and Daniel Wiggins) will suit up for the contest.

Corley, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound shortstop, had a stellar junior campaign at Armstrong State. He started all 48 games and hit .369 with 6 homers and 56 RBI. He also had 12 doubles and scored 48 runs. Well, this summer he has picked up where he left off for the Pirates. Playing for the Morehead City Marlins, Corley has been outstanding. Through 28 games, he is hitting .345 with 6 doubles, 11 RBI and 23 runs scored.

Wiggins, a 6-11, 190-pound left-handed pitcher, just completed his freshman season at USC Aiken. Wiggins played sparingly as a freshman, but showed flashes of brilliance when given the opportunity. He struck out the side in an inning of relief in a victory over Chowan. This summer, with the Gastonia Grizzles, Wiggins has continued to seize his opportunities.

He has appeared in 15 games and sports a perfect 3-0 record with a sizzling 1.25 ERA. He also has struck out 28 batters and walked only 7 in 21.2 innings of work. Boasting those types of numbers against some of the best college talent in America has to give Wiggins a huge confidence boost heading into next season with the Pacers.

In addition to the Columbia County duo, another local player will play tomorrow night. Jonathan Jahn, who was a prep star at Westside, will pitch in the game as well. Jahn's, older brother, Justin, was a Lakeside grad and played on the Panthers' basketball team. The younger Jahn signed with South Carolina out of high school and redshirted this year for the Gamecocks. This summer, Jahn is playing with the Wilmington Sharks. He is only 1-3 on the mound, but has an impressive 2.66 ERA and has 30 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.